The border region with Mexico offers travelers to Arizona a great opportunity to sample Mexican culture. All U.S. citizens entering the United States must have documents that comply with the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) (i.e. a U.S. passport, a passport card, a trusted traveler card such as NEXUS, SENTRI or FAST, or an enhanced driver's license). Children 15 and younger need only a government issued birth certificate. If traveling by vehicle; the U.S. requires proof of ownership; Mexico requires Mexican auto insurance. Insurance can purchased for around $20/day online or from agencies near the border. Travel beyond the 20km border region may have more requirements. Rocky Point (Puerto Pe¤asco) is considered in the border region.
Shopping in the Mexican border towns is always a favorite, and the open air markets in these towns offer items such as pottery, sombreros, pi¤atas, glassware, leather goods, hand embroidered clothing, and colorful handicrafts. These markets also handle a lot of counterfeit product (i.e. Rolex, Nike, Ray Ban ...) so buyer beware. In the popular winter and spring months these markets bustle with activity.
Another popular stop in the border towns is the pharmacy. Mexican laws and regulations differ from the US and many prescription drugs in the US are over-the-counter in Mexico (not narcotics). Less regulation means lower prices and on many items considerable money can be saved. Claims of poor quality and /or counterfeit drugs are sometimes heard, so always be alert. Even though purchased legally in Mexico you must also know that when returning to the US, possession of certain medications without a legitimate prescription from a physician licensed in the United States may violate state and local laws.
To learn more about Mexican border towns, select a topic of interest from the list to the left.
Ports of Entry
From east to west these are the ports of entry on or near the Arizona - Mexico border.
Douglas, AZ - Agua Prieta, Sonora Mexico
Open 24 hours for pedestrians and non-commercial vehicle traffic.
Naco, AZ - Naco, Sonora Mexico
Open 24 hours for pedestrians and non-commercial vehicle traffic.
Nogales, AZ - Nogales, Sonora Mexico
Open 24 hrs at the Deconcini Gate for non-commercial vehicle traffic. Shopping is walking distance from the parking lots on the US side of the border.
Sasabe AZ - Sasabe, Sonora Mexico
Open 8am-8pm for pedestrians and non-commercial vehicle traffic.
Lukeville, AZ - Sonoyta, Sonora Mexico
Open 6am-12mid for pedestrians and non-commercial vehicle traffic. Holiday traffic from Rocky Point can cause significant delays at the border, and the border does close at midnight regardless of whether or not you are already waiting. Shopping is not right at the border, you must drive a little ways to reach the town center of Sonoyta.
San Luis, AZ - San Luis Rio Colorado, Sonora Mexico
Open 24 hrs for pedestrians and non-commercial vehicle traffic. 23 miles South of Yuma on Highway 95, San Luis, with some 150,000 residents has several hotels, restaurants and night clubs.
Andrade, California - Algodones, Baja California Mexico
Open 6am - 10pm for pedestrians and non-commercial vehicle traffic Located seven miles Southwest of Yuma and does have shopping.
